Air-valve.



DOCTOR FRANKLIN MORGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AIR-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907'.

Applieetien med December 17.1906. serieel Ne. 348,286.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOCTOR FRANKLIN MORGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Valves, of which the following, when taken in con- .nection with the drawings accompanying and forming a part thereof, is a full and complete specification, suicient to enable those skilled in. the art to which it pertains to understand, make, and use the same.

This invention relates to air valves used in and about steam heating systems.

One of the objects of the invention is to obtain an air valve which may be used in a steam heating system which may be operated as a ressure system or as a vacuum system as esired.

A further object is to obtain an apparatus by means of which, when all the radiators and pipes of the system are filled with water, say during the summer, for closing the pores of the iron by rust, such radiators and pipes can be emptied of water by simply opening a valve located below such apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to obtain an apparatus, and to attach the same to additional apparatus required and used in a steam heating system, through which when so attached, air will be delivered to the seal forming a part of the system and no considerable amount of steam or water will be delivered thereto and which will not become water-logged and will at all times be in operative condition.

A further object of the invention is to obtain an apparatus of the kind described and for the purpose set forth which is simple in construction, not liable to get out of order and which can be properly attached by an ordinary mechanic to the apparatus adj acent thereto in the heating system of which it forms a part.

In the drawing referred to Figure 1 is an elevation of an accumulating tank in communication with the return pipe of a steam heating system, an elevation of the liquid seal through which air is discharged from the heating system and an elevation of an air valve embodying this invention interposed between the accumulating tank and the liquid seal and in communication therewith. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying this invention, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3.-3,

viewed in the direction indicated by the arf rows.

A reference letter applied to designate given part is used to indicate such part throughout the several gures of the drawing wherever the same appears.

In Fig. l, A is the apparatus embodying this invention through which air is delivered to the seal B by way of connecting pipe a. a', a are pipes connecting the apparatus A to the accumulating tank C of a steam heating system. E is the return pipe from the several radiators of a steam heating system.

In some vacuum steam heating system the desired operation is to ll the entire system with steam at a pressure above atmospheric and to thereby expel the air from the system, without the escape of steam or water of condensation and thereafter to carry steam in the system at a pressure less than atmospheric, except on exceptionally cold days, or for a short time during a given day. To effect such desired operation of a vacuum steam heating system means must be provided to permit air to iiow from the air discharge end of the system, to prevent the flow of steam and water of condensation therefrom, and to prevent air flowing from the atmosphere into the system. Seal B permits air, steam and water of condensation to flow therethrough from pipe a, and prevents the backward fiow of air therethrough to pipe a.

As steam and water of condensation may fiow through seal B means must be provided to prevent the iiow of steam and water of condensation to such seal and the apparatus A, (Fig. l) hereinafter termed an air valve is interposed by me between the accumulating tank C and seal B to arrest the vflow of steam and water of condensation from such accumulating tank while permitting the ow of air therefrom.

The construction of air valve A is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, wherein J is the baseof the apparatus; y' is a chamber or space in base J and y" is a passage way communicating with chamber j.

K is a cylindrical cup open at its upper end and in communication with the chamber or space y' in base J through tube 7c.

L is the top of the apparatus` I is a chamber or space in top L.

I is a passage way to space or chamber I I is an air discharge passage from chamber I.

5 M is a float in cup K. Float M is open at its lower end and is provided with groove m on one side and with valve N at its upper end, such valve arranged to co-act with valve seat n to air outlet I.

` O is a tube bent to obtain legs of unequal length, the shorter one of such legs being in groove m of iioat M, and the longer one thereof in tube C.

The air valve operates as follows ,-when air, steam and water of condensation are delivered to the accumulating tank C from return pipes E under greater than atmospheric pressure, the air flows through pi e a and passage I into space or chamber Fand from thence through pipe a to the seal B and to the atmosphere (float M being down and valve N ofl` its seat). When the air flowing through the device as last above described is followed by steam or water of condensation,

(or both), the receptacle K becomessufliciently filled with water of condensation to raise the float M and seat valve N. When the valve N is seated neither air, steam or water of condensation can pass from the device, through valve seat n; and water of condensation will accumulate in receptacle K until it rises above the tube vc or the bend in tube O, when a flow of such 'water of condensation from such receptacle will occur through tube O and such iiow will continue until the level of the water of condensation in receptacle K is at or below the lower end of the short leg of tube O when the valve N is unseated and air or air and steam may 40 flow through valve seat n of the device. In the above cited case if steam flows through inlet I from tank C the level of the water of condensation will again rise in receptacle K to above the top of tube k, and the float M will be raised and valve N seated. A quick raising of the float is effected by the warming of the air confined in the float and the consequent expansion thereof by the forcing thereby of water out from such iioat into the space in chamber K surrounding the float. When the level of the water of condensation in receptacle K is at about the lower end of such short leg of tube O the iioat is nearly balanced, though down, and a slight raise of such level will raise the ioat.

With steam continuously flowing into the device from the radiator the water of condensation will gradually rise in chamber K, outside of the float until water of condensation Hows through pipe k, and thereafter any inrush of water from the radiator, will set the siphon formed by pipe O into operation, and the consequent lowering of the water of condensation in such chamber K will drop the float and open the valve from its seat. The action of the valve is thus intermittent, as some steam will escape from the valve seat before sufiicient Water of condensation has again accumulated in the chamber K to raise the float to close the valve to its seat.

In case the supply of steam to the device from the radiator ceases and air flows thereinto the air in the iioat will be cooled thereby to permit the water of condensation in chamber K (outside the float), to liow into the iioat and the iioat will drop, permitting air to flow from the air outlet the water of condensation flowing into the float will not be suflicient to replace the portion of the air which was driven out by the previous heating of the air within the iioat and some airalso will flow into the float so that in this case the float will not become water logged.

At all times when the flow of steam into the float chamber is followed by a flow of air the air within the float is thereby cooled and the water of condensation in the chamber K outside the float, (the level of such water cannot be above the top of pipe K) will flow by gravity into the float and there will not be a suiiicient volume of such water of condensation to replace the air which was eX- pelled from such iioat by heat, and some air will follow and rise through the water into the float serving to prevent water-logging, by re-charging such float with air.

Any desired pressure above atmospheric pressure may be carried in the system as the intermittent discharge of water of condensation through pipe O with conse uent variation of pressure in float M as descrlbed, retains the device in operative condition.

Water of condensation may enter the chamber or space j through passage a and rise in tube c to the same height as the water in accumulating chamber or tank C when any considerable amount of water of condensation collects in such accumulating tank and the receptacle K will be thereby filled; but in such case as the water flows from the accumulating chamber through pipe g and lowers the level of such water inthe accumulating chamber, a corresponding flow of water of condensation throu h 115 pipe O occurs and receptacle K is parta y emptied of its contents through pipes c and O.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patents is;-

.1. An air valve consisting of a casing provided with an upper passage way theremto and a lower passage way communicating therewith and with an outlet, such outlet provided with a valve seat, and such casing 125 provided with a chamber closed at its bottom and open at its upper end, a float in the chamber, a. valve on the float, such valve co-acting with the valve seat on the outlet,

a passage way from the upper part of the 130 chamber to the lower passage way of the casing, and a tube bent to obtain legs of different lengths7 the longer leg thereof in such passage way from the upper part of the chamber and the Shorter leg in Such chamj berJ such bent tube arranged to form al Siphon automatically Set in operation to deliver water from the chamber to the lower portion of the casing; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a shell provided with a chamber closed at its bottom and provided with an upper passage way thereinto and a lower passage Way communicating therewith and with an air outlet, of a iioat in the chamber, a valve and a siphon, Such air outlet provided with a valve seat and Such float and valve associated So that flotation of the lioat by water of condensation in the chamber advances the valve to its Seat, such passage way into the casingl communicating with the chamber above the evel of the Water required thereinto raise the oat and Such Siphon arranged so that the automatic operation thereof discharges water of condensation from the chamber to lower the iioat and retract the valve from its seat; Substantially as described.

DOCTOR FRANKLIN MORGAN. In the presence of- CHARLES TURNER BROWN, CORA A. ADAMS. 

